Incoming recruit Ben Kueter has been named as The Gazette Male Athlete of the Year. This is a prestigious honor that recognizes the best athlete in Eastern Iowa.
What Kueter accomplished in his high school career at City High High School in Iowa City, Iowa is amazing. Four-time undefeated state champion in wrestling. All-American linebacker in football. Played in an All-Star game with the best football players in the country. Started on a District champion baseball team. Ran in the Drake Relays. This guy did it all.
And let’s not forget that Kueter won a World title at the 2022 U20 World Freestyle Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria at 97kg/213 lbs. Kueter was also the youngest wrestler in the entire tournament. A dominating performance with a pin in the World finals.
For accolades Kueter was named as the Outstanding Wrestler in the country on the USA Wrestling Dream Team, the overall #1 recruit pound for pound by MatScouts, the Regional winner of the Dave Schultz Excellence Award, the Dan Gable Wrestler of the Year, member of the National Honor Society, The list goes on and on. Kueter also leads an outstanding Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2023.
I mentioned over a year and a half ago that Kueter was the best overall athlete for an Iowa Wrestling recruit that I have ever seen. I have also been saying for quite some time that Ben Kueter is the best high school athlete to ever come out of Iowa. I do not see how anyone could argue those points.
Kueter is rare also in that he committed to both Iowa Football and Iowa Wrestling. It is hard to tell where his career will take him. I know that as a Hawkeye fan I will enjoy every bit of his college career and beyond.
Real good article by K.J. Pilcher:
I want to mention The Gazette Female Athlete of the Year winner Peyton Robinson. My hometown of Lisbon, Iowa has had a lot of great athletes over the last 43 years of this award. Peyton is the first athlete from Lisbon to win The Gazette Athlete of the Year. Go Lions!.
Peyton’s dad George Robinson was a state champ wrestler at Central City in 1992. Peyton will attend Wartburg and play volleyball.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
